At golden eyes project, we believe art has the power to change the world. Using art & design as the foundation of our mission allows us to empower children and uplift the creators supporting it.
gep’s Contributing Creators practice varying mediums, but each artist shares the same belief that all children deserve the right not just to survive, but to thrive.
Artists who become Contributing Creators receive a dedicated profile with links to their work, optional commissions & collaborative opportunities in support of the mission. Learn more about the benefits below.
Dear
Artists,
WANTED:
golden eyes project is newly founded and actively building the foundation of something we believe can change the trajectory of many children’s lives. To do so, we are beginning our first recruitment of creators of all mediums.
We want you to be a part of gep’s story from the beginning. Artists who join now help form the creative roots of our foundation. The first to believe in gep’s mission in its youth.
Artists who become Contributing Creators during our first year of recruiting will carry a Founding Creator recognition on their profile. This lets patrons know you were there from the beginning to support the golden eyes vision.
Founding Creators
ThankYou
Here are a few ways we show gratitude to creators joining the mission.
Social Media Features: Your work & story shared across gep’s social to an audience actively seeking art that represents something beyond personal aesthetics.
A New Network of Collectors: Our Gallery puts your work in front of everyone who visits gep’s website. Collectors who come looking for art that stands for something more.
A Sense of Community: A growing collective of artists across all mediums united by the belief that every child deserves the right not just to survive, but to thrive.
Certificates of Authenticity: Every work donated to gep is issued a certificate of authenticity. This permanent record legitimizes the work & protects the artist.
Donation Receipts for Filing: Every work donated to gep is a charitable contribution (a tax deductible gift). We provide Donation Receipts for every donated piece to help you claim the appropriate deductions at filing.
Grant Opportunities: As gep grows we plan to offer Creative Partnership grants, funding supplies for artists who want to create dedicated series in support of the mission. Stay tuned!
Giveaways: gep plans to provide Contributing Creators with surprise gifts: art supplies, gep merch, partner products, etc.
The generosity of creatives empowers us to reach children and strengthen their communities. In return, gep is continuously looking for ways to return that kindness.
Artwork
Donation Process
At our current stage of growth, gep can accept digital works & physical pieces to be held by the artwork contributor until it’s sold in our online gallery. Connect with gep when you feel ready to contribute a piece, and we’ll follow up shortly after with any additional information or questions needed to prepare your Artwork Contribution Agreement for review & signature.
Contributing Physical Artwork
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Once a Contributing Creator feels ready to contribute artwork to gep’s gallery, they can submit their artwork donation inquiry here: Contributing Creator Artwork Portal
Share images of your artwork in the highest resolution available. We accept all standard digital file formats.
If you’re having difficulty capturing your art in its best light, we will do our best to source a photographer in your area to document the piece professionally.
We’ll use the artwork details from your form submissions to prepare your Artwork Contribution Agreement, so provide as much detail as possible. Once ready, we’ll send you the agreement using a secure signature request for your review & signature.
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Once received, your images will be catalogued & ready for display in our art gallery.
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We will send your copy of the Donation Receipt & Certificate of Authenticity to your email before the artwork is made available for purchase to the public.
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gep will tastefully display your artwork for patrons in our online gallery & social media platforms.
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Once your artwork has sold in gep’s art gallery, we’ll contact you to coordinate shipment.
Because your artwork remains in your possession until it’s purchased, we’ll work with you in advance to identify a preferred professional packing & shipping provider and establish the appropriate fulfillment arrangement within your Artwork Contribution Agreement.
gep coordinates & pays the costs of professional packing, shipping & applicable shipping insurance. Artwork contributors do not pay for packing, shipping & insurance unless we’ve agreed on a different arrangement together in advance.
When it’s time to ship, you may deliver your artwork to the designated professional packing & shipping provider, or gep will coordinate professional pickup when that arrangement is specified in your Artwork Contribution Agreement.
Contributing Digital Artwork
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Once a Contributing Creator feels ready to donate digital artwork to gep’s gallery, they can submit their artwork donation inquiry here: Contributing Creator Artwork Portal
Share files in the highest resolution available. We accept all standard digital file formats.
We’ll use the artwork details from your form to prepare your Artwork Contribution Agreement. Provide as much detail as possible. Once ready, we’ll send your agreement using a secure signature request for your review & signature.
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Once received, your artwork will be catalogued & ready for display in our online gallery.
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Your Donation Receipt, Certificate of Authenticity, its edition & your authorization as the artist will be sent to your email before the work is made available for purchase.
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We will tastefully display your digital artwork in our gallery & social media platforms.
gep will notify you when your first digital piece has sold. Commence happy dancing!
Your art has an impact on those able to see & experience it. With us, that impact can go even further. It reaches children & communities you may never meet, but whose lives you help improve. And, as your art expands our reach, our mission expands yours.-
Once you submit your Contributing Creator Sign-Up form, we follow up within 3 business days to finish publishing your creator profile. Check out our creator profiles here: “Meet the Artists” to see the details we’ll need for your profile.
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gep welcomes all mediums: painting, sculpture, photography, illustration, printmaking, digital art & more. If you’re unsure whether your medium qualifies, continue applying and we’ll reach out to clarify.
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Yes. Donating a piece to gep does not transfer your copyright. Your work, your image & your creative identity remain yours. golden eyes project receives the right to sell your donated piece.
If you’d like to extend your impact further by allowing us to sell printed copies of your donated work, all proceeds support the mission. This is entirely your choice and will be discussed before the agreement is prepared for your review.
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Once your Artwork Contribution Agreement is signed, we will issue your Artwork Donation Receipt for your records. Your receipt will include:
Our organization’s legal name: Golden Eyes Project Foundation, DBA: golden eyes project & contact info
Our 501(c)(3) status confirmation
Our federal EIN: 39-3373846
Your full legal name
Title, medium & dimensions of your artwork contribution
Date of contribution
A statement confirming that no goods or services were provided to you in exchange for your donation. We recommend consulting a tax professional regarding how to apply your donation for tax purposes, as rules for artists donating their own work differ from standard artwork donations.
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Your full legal name as the creator
Artwork title, medium, dimensions, edition info & year created
A high resolution image of your artwork
Your signature & date signed
After signing, gep will record your Certificate of Authenticity & Donation Receipt before delivering the documents promptly to your email!
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When an artist donates their own original work to a nonprofit the IRS allows a deduction for the cost of materials used to create the piece.
The value of donating artwork to gep goes well beyond the tax deduction.
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Yes, as long as you retain ownership & rights to the original work. If you’ve sold prints or reproductions of a piece, you may still donate the original. However, if you’ve transferred the rights to your work to another party, that work would not be eligible for donation.
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Absolutely, and we encourage it. Donating 5 or more artworks earns a Golden Creator recognition displayed in your Contributing Creator profile on our website & across our socials.
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gep does not set a minimum or maximum value for donated works. All submissions go through a review process to ensure each piece is a good fit for our gallery and our collectors.
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During the donation agreement process, we welcome artists to share their perspective on the value of their work.
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Absolutely. We’ll reach out as soon as your work finds its new home. Celebrations are more fun together!
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Once your artwork has sold in gep’s art gallery, we’ll contact you to coordinate shipment.
Because your artwork remains in your possession until it’s purchased, we’ll work with you in advance to identify a preferred professional packing & shipping provider and establish the appropriate fulfillment arrangement within your Artwork Contribution Agreement. gep coordinates & pays the costs of professional packing, shipping & applicable shipping insurance. Artwork contributors do not pay for packing, shipping & insurance unless we’ve agreed on a different arrangement together in advance.
When it’s time to ship, you may deliver your artwork to the designated professional packing & shipping provider, or gep will coordinate professional pickup when that arrangement is specified in your Artwork Contribution Agreement.
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We require professional packing, shipping & insurance services to ensure artwork is properly package and insure for its full agreed value during transit.
We’ll help research & establish a relationships with your local carrier as we develop your Artwork Contribution Agreement.
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The artwork purchaser pays for shipping, handling & insurance when they purchase the artwork.
gep will coordinate with your preferred pack & ship carrier to cover payment for shipping.
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All artwork must be fully insured for its agreed value during transit. In the rare event of damage, gep will document it immediately and work with all parties to navigate the insurance claim process.
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gep lists donated works indefinitely. We’re committed to finding the right home for every piece in our gallery.
However, if you’d like your work unlisted in the event it does not sell after an agreed-upon period, please notify us before signing your agreement so we may draft your wishes appropriately.
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Your work will be featured across gep’s website gallery & social media platforms to an audience actively seeking art that stands for something beyond aesthetics.
Your Contributing Creator profile, including your photo, bio, mediums & links, will also be available to every patron who visits gep.
As a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, gep is eligible for advertising programs & partnerships, and we are committed to growing our reach exclusively through ethical channels.
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If you think you might change your mind about your donation, simply let us know and we’ll add a clause to your agreement that returns your work to you after a period of your choosing if it hasn’t sold.
Once donation agreements are signed, we ask that creators honor its terms. The agreement exists to protect both you & golden eyes project. We draft it carefully together before either party signs to make sure everyone feels accommodated.
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We welcome artists from all over the world to become Contributing Creators with gep. If an international Contributing Creator wishes to donate artwork to gep’s gallery, please note that tax deductibility may vary depending on your country. Reach out and we’ll work through the details! We do our best to make the process as simple as possible for creators.
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Complete gep’s Contributing Creator Sign Up Form and we’ll get back to you within 3 business days to introduce ourselves and collect any other information necessary to finish publishing your profile.
After signing up, if you’d like to contribute an artwork to gep’s gallery, you may use our Contributing Creator Artwork portal to share your interest to donate.
Artists
FAQ
Still have questions?
Thank You
Contributing
Creators!